Town of Huntsville takes unique approach to house tourism and hospitality workers
The Town of Huntsville is taking a unique approach to dealing with the housing crisis by subsidizing accommodation to attract and retain tourism and hospitality workers.
Town council agreed to a pilot project with Explorers' Edge that could serve as a blueprint for similar endeavours in other regions and industries.
"There's many frontline tourism jobs, low-paying tourism jobs, and for us for individuals to come into work - nobody is going to put their best foot forward if they're worrying about how to pay their mortgage or put food on the table," said Explorers' Edge CEO James Murphy.
Employers and potential employees cite attainable housing as a significant factor in the workforce shortage.
- Download the CTV News app now and get local alerts on your device
- Get local breaking news and updates sent to your email inbox
Deerhurst Resort General Manager Andrew Buwalda said the town currently has a zero vacancy rate.
The popular resort's staff housing facilities host roughly 100 beds and a full-time shuttle service for employees.
"If we didn't have those facilities, we would certainly not have the levels of employment that we need to operate the resort on a year-round basis," Buwalda said.
The proposed Catalyst Housing would also offer work-integrated career and life skills training in return for working in the regional tourism or hospitality industry for a short time.
"And it's not just in tourism, it's in financial literacy because when you're done, we want you to be much more able to purchase a home and lay some foundational groundwork in the area," noted Murphy.
"It's greater than housing. It's training. It's keeping people in your community and supporting people in your community," stated Mayor Nancy Alcock.
While funding for the initiative has not been finalized, Explorers' Edge is exploring various financing avenues, including community bonds, without leaning on the tax base.
The initial phase of the project is set to be supported by a combination of budgeted funds from the Town and a matching contribution from Explorers' Edge.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian former Olympic snowboarder wanted in Ontario double homicide: DOJ
A Canadian former Olympic snowboarder who is suspected of being the leader of a transnational drug trafficking group that operated in four countries is wanted for allegedly orchestrating the murder of an 'innocent' couple in Ontario in 2023, authorities say.
Ontario school board trustees under fire for $100K religious art purchase on Italy trip
Trustees with an Ontario school board are responding to criticism over a $45,000 trip to Italy, where they purchased more than $100,000 worth of religious statues.
A photographer snorkeled for hours to take this picture
Shane Gross, a Canadian marine conservation photojournalist, has won the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Tobacco giants would pay out $32.5 billion to provinces, smokers in proposed deal
Three tobacco giants are proposing to pay close to $25 billion to provinces and territories and more than $4 billion to some 100,000 Quebec smokers and their loved ones as part of a corporate restructuring process triggered by a long-running legal battle.
More Trudeau cabinet ministers not running for re-election, sources say shuffle expected soon
Federal cabinet ministers Filomena Tassi, Carla Qualtrough and Dan Vandal announced Thursday they will not run for re-election. Senior government sources tell CTV News at least one other, Marie-Claude Bibeau, doesn't plan to run again, setting the stage for Justin Trudeau to shuffle his cabinet in the coming weeks.
Robert Pickton's handwritten book seized after his death in hopes of uncovering new evidence
A handwritten book was seized from B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton's prison cell following his death earlier this year, raising hopes of uncovering new evidence in a series of unprosecuted murders.
Former members of One Direction say they're 'completely devastated' by Liam Payne's death
The former members of English boy band One Direction reacted publicly to the sudden death of their bandmate, Liam Payne, for the first time on Thursday, saying in a joint statement that they're 'completely devastated.'
Israel says it has killed top Hamas leader Yayha Sinwar in Gaza
Israeli forces in Gaza killed top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel's most wanted man.
Indian government employee charged in foiled murder-for-hire plot in New York City
The U.S. Justice Department announced criminal charges Thursday against an Indian government employee in connection with a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist leader living in New York City.